Chapter 31:

The end of the test had been as uneventful as an evening spent in the company of a Drowzee, with only the top ten trialists summoned to the stage, swiping their ID cards to receive a mere 200 Team Rocket points each. To others, such a trifle might have seemed a bountiful reward, but to Cain, who still had over 7,000 points to his name, it was but a drop in the ocean.

Team Rocket's point control was as strict as a gym leader's regimen, and it was only by a stroke of luck that Cain had come across a rare Green Aptitude Pokemon egg, aided in no small part by the A.I. system, that he had been able to accumulate 20,000 points so swiftly. Others were not so fortunate.

The main way to earn points in Team Rocket was still by completing missions, for that was the most stable source of points. Catching rare-talented Pokemon or finding various rare items to trade for points, however, was a game of chance, dependent on one's luck and vision.

Cain's advantage was that he had an A.I. system, which made it impossible for him to remain unaware whenever a Rare Talented Pokemon appeared before him. Thus, compared to others, Cain's most stable way to gain points was by catching different Pokemon, and the only thing that could limit him was luck.

But, as with all things, there are times when one should be ostentatious and times when one should keep a low profile. For if one were always to catch rare Pokemon to exchange for points, what would others think? How could someone tell the talent of a Pokemon without using any instruments? Would they not ask to be dragged off to the lab to be studied?

Thus, the crowd gradually dispersed, their faces sullen, for what had just happened was like a time bomb, constantly reminding them that they had to work hard. After this incident, everyone's level of effort would have to go up a notch, and if they did not work harder, they would die!

Viper and the mysterious figure garbed in black robes had already departed the square, surrounded by a phalanx of Team Rocket grunts. For men of their status and position, trifling matters were of little concern, and of course, their minions would see to it that everything was taken care of. Had it not been for the fact that the quality of each batch of trialists affected Viper's annual income, he would not have deigned to be troubled by a group of small children. Would a supposed elite-level powerhouse be bothered by a band of recruits not even worthy of a normal coach's attention?

Besides wanting to accompany Viper to assess the quality of this group of trainees, the mysterious man also had another motive. He wanted to learn more about Cain. Though he had bestowed upon Cain the Shadow Unit Reserve Member Medal the day prior, he knew little about him as a person and thus used the test as an opportunity to observe him. And from the results, it seemed Cain still met his minimum standards.

As Cain was making ready to depart, Xander and his subordinates blocked his path.

"Caw!" The first to step forward at the sight of trouble was, of course, Murkrow.

"Caba!" Not to be outdone by Murkrow's display, Xander's Ekans coiled its body slightly, not in fear, but in its most terrifying attack stance.

The most terrifying moment when facing a snake is not when it opens its mouth wide and bares its fangs, but when it curls up and tightens its muscles, showing that it is ready to strike at any moment, its muscles going from taut to slack, like the release of a tightly drawn bow.

Cain stroked Murkrow's feathers gently, gesturing for him not to be nervous.

Watching Cain's actions, Xander raised an eyebrow and also gestured to his Ekans not to get too excited.

With a flicker of light in his eyes, Cain scanned Ekans' data with his system.

Pokemon: Ekans (Light Green)

Gender: Male

Level: 16

Type: Poison

Ability: Intimidate

Held items: None

Egg moves: Pursuit, Poison Fang, Scary Face

Basic moves: Wrap, Leer, Poison Sting, Bite, Glare

Taught moves: Snatch

Technical Machines (TMs): Double Team

The reason it was slightly weaker than Murkrow was partly due to its Light Green talent, which was one order lower than Murkrow's, and partly because of its innate species strength.

Although Species Strength is a theoretical concept that does not have a critical effect on the Pokemon as long as it is trained well, it must be said that there is a difference in strength between different species. After all, what would be the point of distinguishing between a pseudo-legendary Pokemon like Dratini and a common Pokemon like Pidgey? Was there truly no difference?

Even more surprising to Cain was that the Ekans had learned 'Double Team'. He remembered that the price at the exchange center was 1000 Team Rocket points. Cain guessed that Xander's subordinates had also contributed a lot of their points, so that Xander could actually scrape together 1000 points in a week.

Cain and Xander both remained silent, each waiting for the other to speak first.

Meanwhile, those standing behind Xander also kept their mouths shut, especially those who had acted arrogantly yesterday.

"I did not expect to end up underestimating you," Xander said with a straight face. He had originally believed that no one in the trial could compare to him, and he had absolute confidence in himself. Had Cain not interfered, Xander would indeed have continued to rise to the top, as evidenced by his previous life where he was on the verge of becoming a Team Rocket executive.

Cain also somehow knew what Xander was thinking. Xander had thought that he would be the protagonist, but now that he had been surpassed by Cain, he was sure that his inner resentments would begin to boil over. But even if he knew what was coming, Cain wouldn't do anything to change that.

"So what now?" Cain said indifferently, his face remaining as impassive as a Sphinx.

Xander's face gradually clouded over, feeling Cain's indifference towards him as a form of contempt.

As Xander's expression changed, his subordinates all lowered their heads and played ostrich, too afraid to speak up.

If they were facing anyone else in this situation, as Xander's lackeys, they would have certainly jumped out and cursed, but in front of Cain, they did not dare to do so. Who would dare to provoke a man who could rank higher than even Xander?

Xander also saw the behavior of his subordinates, and his face grew even darker.

Cain stood before him, calm and quiet, waiting to see what he would do next.

As Xander's face grew darker and darker, his heart was not at ease either, as he realized that his greatest asset right now was his older brother, a senior officer of Team Rocket. But since Xander was determined to surpass his brother, he did not want to use his brother's name to pressure others. However, even if he did, he wouldn't necessarily be able to scare Cain away.

"Hmph!" Without a word and with a cold grunt, he turned and quickly walked away. If he stood there any longer, he was afraid that he might not be able to control himself from making a move. As for whether he could beat Cain, Xander himself was not sure.

When Xander left, his subordinates quickly followed in his footsteps without the slightest hesitation, as if they would be devoured by Cain if they stayed there any longer.

After Xander led his subordinates away, another group of people approached Cain, led by none other than the fifth ranked Soros, the young man with the sunny smile.

Cain frowned when he saw Soros approaching. He approved of a true villain like Xander more than a hypocrite like Soros.

Soros laughed cheerfully as he approached, "Haha, Cain you're amazing, taking the top spot in one go. You've shocked a lot of people." He reached out to pat Cain on the shoulder.

Seeing Soros' actions, Cain's eyebrows furrowed again and he took a step back, avoiding his hand.

Soros' face became slightly embarrassed when his hand hit nothing but air, but he recovered in an instant, smiling again, yet deep in his eyes a cold glint was barely concealed.

With a sneer in his heart, Cain said, "What is it?"

"Haha." Soros laughed to hide his embarrassment. Usually, as long as he kept smiling, everyone would show him a little courtesy. He hadn't expected to be humiliated by Cain.

He continued, "It's nothing important. I've just accepted a mission that's worth a lot of points, so I'd like to ask if you're interested in joining me. I'm afraid I'll have trouble completing it alone, but don't worry, the points we get will be split equally between the two of us."

A mission that required two people to complete? Was it taken specifically to get closer to himself? Cain laughed coldly in his heart. This really was a lousy tactic.

"Not interested." With just those words, Cain turned away without looking back, leaving Soros with only the view of the back of his head.

Watching Cain walk away without hesitation, Soros' smile immediately froze. His back was turned to his subordinates as his face grimaced, but he quickly returned to his original smile.

"Since Cain isn't interested, it's better if we do it ourselves. After all, we're still on our own." Soros turned to his subordinates and said. Immediately, his subordinates sighed with disappointment that they hadn't been able to get Cain to join the team. Wasn't it just a mission where Soros led them and shared their points with Cain? It was he who suffered the loss.